Sunday, February 7, 2010

Yu Chang - Three Questions

Yu Chang resides with his family in Schenectady, NY. Since 2001 he has been editor of the biannual anthology of haiku and senryu, Upstate Dim Sum (www.upstatedimsum.com). His first collection of poems, seeds, is now available from Red Moon Press.

1) Why do you write haiku?

I don't really know. All I can say is that I like the feeling I get when I write haiku: life is free and simple; I can put mud on my face and laugh at the same time. Maybe that's why I am always looking forward with pleasure to our Upstate Dim Sum monthly haiku meetings.

2) What other poetry forms do you enjoy?

I also enjoy dabbling in haibun, haiga, and renku.

3) Of the many wonderful haiku you've written, what do you consider to be your top three?

Today's choices:

new in townthe scentof unknown flowers

(1999 Henderson Award)

old passportthe tugof my father's smile

(Upstate Dim Sum 2001/II)

different paceat the water's edgethe sandpiper and I

(Acorn 2004)

Thank you so much, Curtis, for doing the series.

Happy New Year!

Yu

If you've been enjoying this weekly series and have not contributed, please consider sharing your response (whether it be for haiku or tanka) to the three little questions that Yu answered. You must be a published poet to participate.

I second Pamela's remark! I purchased Seeds, after finding examples of Yu Chang's work on the net and in Upstate Dim Sum (If, as a reader, you haven't had a chance to read either UDS or Seeds, do not deny yourself.) Yu Chang truly has a singular voice and lovely subtle vision. Nothing is too small to escape notice. Thank's Curtis and Yu Chang for this Sunday morning treat!

One of the things I love about Yu's haiku is that they are always fresh...you never tire of hearing/reading it over and over again. There's always something hidden and it was his haiku: almost dusk - the raspberry stalk bends with a purple finch the sparked my snowbird notes. I just had to see if I could capture that image where you have to look to see the finch. Look deeply into his haiku...it always delights.

Dear Yu Chang,Although I've never had the pleasure of meeting you, I've had so much pleasure from reading your haiku in various publications. You are surely among the best of our poets.in admiration,Karen Klein